Chapter 8: Quadratic Functions and Equations

Starting a Cruise Liner

Since their inception in 1844, cruises have
become one of the most popular vacation
options for individuals and families willing to
pay a high price for a luxury experience.
Though there are several different types of
cruises, each requires an impressive amount
of mathematics behind the scenes in order
to be a success. Today, you will assume the
role of an entrepreneur looking to operate a
river cruise.

In general, river cruises are classified as “small” in

the grand scheme of cruise ships, with vessels
typically housing 100-300 passengers (though some
do exist outside this average). Step 1) Choose the
size of you cruise ship. What is the maximum
number of voyagers it can carry?

You will need to choose a particular locale for your

river cruise. Here are some popular destinations:

o Rhine River (Germany/Netherlands/

Step 2) Decide the duration of your cruise. How France/Switzerland)
long would you like it to last? Assume that you o Danube River (Germany/Austria/Hungary)
will be traveling continuously without stopping o Seine River (France)
along the way. o Douro River (Portugal/Spain)
o Yangtze River (China)
o Mekong River (Cambodia/Vietnam)
o Nile River (Egypt)
o Volga River (Russia)

Step 3) Once you have chosen your destination,

select two locations along the river to be the
“endpoints” of your cruise. Then, use a mapping
tool like Google Earth to estimate the distance by
water between these locations (to skip this step,
simply choose the distance you would like your
cruise to cross). Note: you are completing a round
trip, so the total length of your voyage will be
doubled.
 Chapter 8: Quadratic Functions and Equations

Calculating Speeds) The latest reports inform you that the speed of the river’s current is about 3 miles
per hour relative to the shore. Using this information, along with the distance you will be traveling,
write/solve a quadratic equation to calculate how fast your boat will have to travel in the water in order
to complete the cruise in the desired time.

Math Tip) Here are some things to keep in

mind when solving this question:

Since you are making a round trip, there are

two speeds you must account for: the
speed of the boat relative to the shore
when traveling upstream, and the speed of
the boat relative to the shore when
traveling downstream. The speed of the
boat relative to the water (this is the value
you are looking for) will remain constant;
let’s call this value “v.” On the trip
downstream, the current will help the boat
and your speed will be “v + (current
speed).” On the trip upstream, the current
will slow the boat down.

We can solve this problem by utilizing the

following equation: total time = time
traveled upstream + time traveled
downstream.

We relate the quantities of time, distance

traveled, and speed through the equation
speed = distance / time. Try solving this
equation for time, and incorporating it into
the equation above. Use your
understanding of how the water current
affects the boat speed upstream vs.
downstream.
Chapter 8: Quadratic Functions and Equations
 Chapter 8: Quadratic Functions and Equations

Calculating Costs) The various costs of completing a voyage on a luxury cruise liner include
paying for fuel, food, payroll expenses, and other miscellaneous onboard and transportation
expenses. That being said, one estimate states that the daily cost to operate a cruise liner can
total to around $400 per each passenger onboard. With this in mind, write an expression to
represent the daily cost of your voyage per each ticket (t) sold (note: assume each ticket sold
translates to one passenger).
Demand Curves and Profits)
The following graph shows a possible relationship between the cost of a river cruise and the
number of tickets likely to be sold. Such a demand curve allows a person to estimate amount of
products (in this case, cruise ship tickets) that the public will buy depending on their price
(note: while demand curves are typically constructed based on consumer statistics, this
particular graph was not created using real data from the cruising industry).

Using the demand curve and the cost

expression you created above, write and solve
and equation to find how much money (x) per
day you should charge for your cruise in order
to maximize your profits. Then, use this value
to calculate your total profits for the entire
voyage.
Tips:
1) Begin by writing an equation to model the
graph of the demand curve
2) Profit = ($ earned from sales) – (costs)
3) $ earned from sales = units sold (this is the
equation of your demand curve!) times the price
(x)
4) How can you use the equation of the demand
curve to rewrite the expression for cost you
found earlier?
5) What kind of equation do you get from tip 2?
At what point on the graph of this equation
would the maximum profit value occur?
6) When analyzing the equation from tip 5,
remember to account for the maximum
passenger occupancy of your ship.
Chapter 8: Quadratic Functions and Equations
 Chapter 8: Quadratic Functions and Equations

Learn More
https://boatinggeeks.com/how-much-does-a-cruise-ship-cost-to-operate/

Image URLs
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/amawaterways-to-debut-new-cruise-ship-on-nile-
river.html
https://www.petrexgmbh.com/china-environmental-policies-to-protect-the-yangtze-river/
https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise/Viking-River-Cruises/Viking-Var